Descriptions du produit

Présentation de l'éditeur

At four-thirty one Saturday afternoon the laws of physics as we know them underwent a change. Electronic devices, cars, industries stopped. The lights went out. Any technology more complicated than a lever or pulley simply wouldn't work. A new set of rules took its place—laws that could only be called magic. Ninety-nine percent of humanity has simply vanished. Cities lie abandoned. Supernatural creatures wander the silenced achievements of a halted civilization.

Pete Garey has survived the Change and its ensuing chaos. He wanders the southeastern United States, scavenging, lying low. Learning. One day he makes an unexpected friend: a smartassed unicorn with serious attitude. Pete names her Ariel and teaches her how to talk, how to read, and how to survive in a world in which a unicorn horn has become a highly prized commodity.

When they learn that there is a price quite literally on Ariel's head, the two unlikely companions set out from Atlanta to Manhattan to confront the sorcerer who wants her horn. And so begins a haunting, epic, and surprisingly funny journey through the remnants of a halted civilization in a desolated world.

Biographie de l'auteur

STEVEN R. BOYETT sold his first novel at 21 and went on to publish novels, short stories, feature screenplays, and comic books. In 1999 he took some time off from writing, and during this period he learned to play the didgeridoo, a unique Australian wind instrument. This led him to learn about digital recording, which led to composing electronica, which led to DJing. He produces three of the world's most popular music podcasts: the groundbreaking Podrunner and Podrunner: Intervals (workout music mixes), and Groovelectric (dance music mixes of what he calls New Old Funk).

Steve has played clubs in Hollywood, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Reno, as well as Burning Man. He has been a martial arts instructor, professional paper marbler, advertising copywriter, legal proofreader, writing teacher, website editor, chapbook publisher, and composer. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two frighteningly intelligent parrots.

I usually like to study a book when I first pick it up off of the book store shelf. I read the back first, ponder the cover art, then open to Page 1 and skim a few pages. In 1984, I found "Ariel" in my favorite bookstore, began my ritual, and ended up sitting on the floor for 1 hour, completely and utterly entranced. I was captivated by the very first sentence: "I was bathing in a lake when I saw the unicorn."Mr. Boyett's imagination hits stratospheric heights in his storytelling. His words paint a portrait so vivid that I feel like I'm right there beside Pete, traipsing all the way up I-95 and swimming with the dolphins on the way to New York. My teenage bedroom became a fantasy haven in its honor, and a huge stuffed unicorn (named Ariel, of course) dominated my bed.The stuffed unicorn is long gone, but I still have that copy of "Ariel," and it's now as delapidated as Pete's backpack - taped, wrinkled, tattered, and laminated. And I wouldn't trade it or get rid of it for anything. I get it out every now and then and re-immerse myself in it, just for old time's sake.If you are lucky enough to get a copy of this book, count it amongst your finest treasures - for a treasure it certainly is. I'll never understand why it's out of print. This is one story that should be back on the shelves for other readers to sit with on the bookstore floors of the world.

29 internautes sur 31 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile

5.0 étoiles sur 5Still Great After All These Years26 août 2001

Par Un client - Publié sur Amazon.com

Format:Poche

Just re-read this (the ebook version) after 15 years and it's still one of the best urban fantasy novels out there. Ariel is a magical yet down-to-earth fantasy with human and non-human characters you can believe in, even love. It's written with an intelligence and maturity that set it apart from your average book with a unicorn on the cover. The ebook version contains at least one chapter that did not appear in the print version, and a very cool afterword by Boyett. For years I'd buy every copy of Ariel I found in used book stores to give to friends. Now they're an endangered species. I recommend finding a copy of this book in whatever form and adding it to the list of books you'll re-read every decade or so.

15 internautes sur 15 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile

5.0 étoiles sur 5Ariel- the book of the change4 juin 2003

Par Heather - Publié sur Amazon.com

Format:Poche

This book happens to be my favorite book of all time. I read the first copy I had so many times that the pages fell out. The second one was lent to a foriegn exchange student who went back home to spain with my book. Why should you read this book? First it will keep you interested from first page to last. The messages in this book are about survival, love, friendship and trust. Along with all that you'll get a full dose of action and suspense. There is a full range of emotions trapped between the pages of this book. Ariel is about a boy and a unicorn who meet after all things technological cease to work. Magical beasts show up all over the world- chaos ensues and a young boy is left to fend for himself. The adventures in this book are heartwrenching, suspenseful and fun! All around the best read I have ever had! Too bad there wasnt a sequel that I know of. Try out this book, if you don't like it I'm sure you don't have a heart!

Boyett has thrown reality for a loop. The post-apocolyptic feel to Ariel is not only atypical, but entertaining (such as Washington DC going to war with NY.) The general feeling of "every man for himself" really hits home. You begin to feel very close to the characters of Pete and Ariel, as their friendship takes strange turns in every different direction imaginable. It truly shows you what it's like to fight for the ones you love and the causes you believe in. The friends they made along the way were wonderful, Malachi Lee being my particular favorite. There's nothing like a samurai swordsman with a sense of humor. As for the chosen quotes at the beginning of every chapter, they were very well thought out, and seem to go right along with the entire storyline. I've been reading this book over and over, time and again, for over 10 years now, and my copy is very dog-eared and well-loved. I hope to have it for the rest of my life, for Ariel was the start of my love of fantasy and sci-fi---I haven't stopped reading since. Boyett is truly in a league of his own. Ariel is has everything you could ever need in a book. From humor to bloody swordplay, from fantasy creatures to sorcery and necromancers. It has it all.

11 internautes sur 12 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile

4.0 étoiles sur 5A great fantasy novel.23 novembre 1999

Par Mr. E - Publié sur Amazon.com

Format:Poche

I agreee with most of the other reviewers who have posted here. 'Ariel' is a wonderful book. I stopped reading alot of fantasy in the early '90s when Eddings, Jordan, Dragonlance et al took over. Most of the newer stuff is pure kack, and unreadable. Books like 'Ariel' helped make my own personal 'golden age of SF' special. I want to tell you all about two other books I find very similar. (Sadly also out of print) Try 'World Enough and Time' and 'Time's Dark Laughter', both by James Kahn. These books take place in California long after the fall of civilization. Fantasy creatures, such as vampires, centaurs and dragons, (yeah, unicorns too.) share the earth with man, although they are products of genetic engineering, rather than magic. In spite of the technological rationale, the books have the feel of true epic fantasy. The scene in 'World Enough...' where the heroes fight a dragon seems to have been the direct inspiration for a similar scene in 'Ariel' which was published 6 years later. Trust me... If you love 'Ariel', you are sure to love James Kahn's books too. I recommend you find copies right away.